1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a medical catheter apparatus, and, more particularly, to a sheathless insertion stylet system for catheter placement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Catheters are flexible medical instruments intended for the withdrawal and introduction of fluids relative to body cavities, ducts, and vessels. Catheter instrumentation may have particular application in a hemodialysis procedure where blood is withdrawn from a blood vessel for treatment, and, subsequently returned to the blood vessel for circulation. Known hemodialysis catheters include multiple lumens, such as dual lumen or triple-lumen catheters, permitting bi-directional fluid flow within the catheter whereby one lumen is dedicated for withdrawal of blood and the other lumen is dedicated for returning the treated blood to the vessel. During an exemplary catheter insertion procedure, a multiple lumen catheter is inserted into a body and blood is withdrawn through an arterial lumen of the catheter. The removed blood is directed to a hemodialysis unit, which dialyzes, or purifies, the blood to remove waste and toxins. The dialyzed blood is returned to the patient through a venous lumen of the catheter.
Various techniques are employed for the insertion of hemodialysis catheters including, e.g., with the use of guidewires, introduction stylets, or the like. Some of these known techniques include subcutaneous tunneling methodologies, including ante grade and reverse tunneling techniques, where a subcutaneous tunnel is formed between two spaced openings in the skin with the use of a trocar or the like. One catheter end may be attached to the trocar and pulled though the tunnel to expose the catheter end from one of the openings. One end of the catheter may be introduced into, e.g., the jugular vein and routed to the heart. The remaining end is attached to a hemodialysis machine.
These current catheter placement techniques may result in tearing or snagging of tissue as well as patient discomfort during placement. To address such trauma, catheters are often manufactured from softer and more flexible materials. These softer and more flexible materials may require the use of a stiffener to aid in the placement of the catheter in the vessel.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a catheter apparatus that facilitates placement within a body vessel with reduced vessel trauma and patient discomfort. It would highly desirable if the catheter apparatus and its constituent parts are easily and efficiently manufactured and assembled.